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Alaska Large Wildfire History

Since 1980, 1,662 wildfires of 1,000 acres or more have been mapped in Alaska, 106 of them above 100,000 acres. The largest burned 558,929 ac; together they cover about 44,755,353 ac.

Fires by decade

'80
'90
'00
'10

What starts the fires in Alaska

Every wildfire incident on record has a cause code. Counts are of incidents, not acres — lightning fires are fewer but tend to grow far larger.

By broad cause
Human52%401k ac
Natural43%16.1M ac
Undetermined3%1.4M ac
Unknown1%783k ac
Specific cause, where recorded
Lightning614
Debris / open burning368
Natural (other)267
Recreation248
Equipment / vehicle use129
Firearms44
Arson / incendiary20
Railroad1

Source: National Interagency Fire Center, WFIGS incident records (WFIGS incident records, roughly 2014 to present). A specific cause is recorded for only some incidents; “Undetermined” and “Unknown” are the agency's own categories.

Largest in Alaska

832015 · 1988558,929 acBoundary · 2004538,652 acMinto Flats South · 2009534,912 acDall City · 2004500,352 acInowak · 1997489,738 acBilly Creek · 2004462,173 acFyu Ne 85 · 1990433,768 acNorth Dag · 2004424,463 acPingo · 2004356,476 acLittle Black One · 2009349,451 ac

All mapped large fires

Tal N 2527,393 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
Fyun6026,387 ac
1993 · perimeter dated November 5, 2008
Discovery25,287 ac
1993 · perimeter dated April 16, 2007
Cemse3417,111 ac
1993 · perimeter dated March 10, 2009
Dckn17816,787 ac
1993 · perimeter dated April 16, 2007
33255412,658 ac
1993 · perimeter dated April 16, 2007
Pole11,538 ac
1993 · perimeter dated April 16, 2007
33222911,535 ac
1993 · perimeter dated April 16, 2007
3316539,814 ac
1993 · perimeter dated November 21, 2008
Mhm Se 369,508 ac
1993 · perimeter dated August 4, 2022
Tal S 277,900 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
Cemne627,851 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
3315827,347 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
3315736,716 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
3315856,264 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
Fyuse354,905 ac
1993 · perimeter dated April 16, 2007
Porcupine4,801 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
Tal Sw 834,792 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
3316394,735 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
Cemw624,310 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
Toklat Rv3,919 ac
1993 · perimeter dated August 4, 2022
3326633,858 ac
1993 · perimeter dated August 4, 2022
3316623,738 ac
1993 · perimeter dated November 6, 2008
Nabesna3,406 ac
1993 · perimeter dated April 16, 2007
Mhm Se 163,114 ac
1993 · perimeter dated August 4, 2022
Dishna2,838 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
Anchor2,731 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 23, 2010
Cemwnw932,674 ac
1993 · perimeter dated October 21, 2008
Unke292,641 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
Dune Lake2,622 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
Tal W 331,765 ac
1993 · perimeter dated November 13, 2008
Unkese311,722 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
Eaa Nw 501,665 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
3315681,652 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
Galsw281,281 ac
1993 · perimeter dated November 21, 2008
Frozen Foot1,098 ac
1993 · perimeter dated October 15, 2008
Mhm S 311,069 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 21, 2010
3322621,061 ac
1993 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
Dck Ssw 211,017 ac
1993 · perimeter dated April 16, 2007
23241439,835 ac
1992 · perimeter dated November 12, 2008

Source: National Interagency Fire Center, Interagency Fire Perimeter History. Only fires with a mapped perimeter of 1,000 acres or more appear; the state is inferred from the responsible unit code. A record of past fires is not a forecast. See About the Data.